Sunday, August 26, 2012

The woods are very dry now and with people out helping repair trails around the area I thought I would share a rather painful experience that I encountered last evening.

Since it was a nice evening, I took my chainsaw out to clear out a couple trees that has fallen over in a swamp just behind my garage in a dried up swamp.

After about 5 minutes of work, I disturbed a wasp nest which in turn sent many of the rather angry critters after me. A realized what I had done after the first couple stings and dropped my chainsaw and headed back to the house. Stumbling over a few logs on the way to the house I realized that the swarm wasn't going to let me off by just getting out of the area.

I was stung as I headed to the house and continued to be stung when I was in the house by wasps that must have been hanging on my shirt and pants. Since I had never been stung before, I was concerned that I might have an allergic reaction, so, with no one else home, I headed over to a neighbors house in case I did have a reaction.

Fortunately, I did not have a reaction, however, by the time I had taken my shirt off to ditch the last few wasps, I had received many painful stings. My neighbor drove me to a nearby Ready-Care Center. The doctor quit counting the stings after about 20 and I was given a prescription for some pain killer and sent on my way. I have to say, the stings were so painful, it felt like I was still being stung every minute.

Upon returning home from Ready-Care there was still a half -dozen of the wasps hanging around inside the house, fortunately, they has settled down enough to be taken out with a fly swatter.

Today, I am on the mend, but, I just want to remind you of the dangers of this time of year.

I was so blessed that I did not have an allergic reaction and that no one else was with me to be stung. I don't think I would have made it as far as the house had a reaction occurred.

I think I will wait until the weather cools off before retrieving my chainsaw, somehow I lost interest in the trail clearing for now.

Friends, please take care if you go off trail and perhaps even wait till frost is on the ground once again.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Full moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

This August, there will be a second full moon on August 31st. This is rare, thus the name for the second full moon of the month - Blue Moon. So, the term "Once in a Blue Moon" is actually an accurate statement.

This photo was taken from the Lakewalk at 8:35PM last evening as the moon drifted behind the North Pier Lighthouse.